In this case, “caterpillar” refers to the elongated, textured wheel (known as caterpillar tracks, tank treads, or continuous tracks and invented in 1770) seen on the artillery tractor, which allows the easy crossing of difficult land. In some cases, the artillery tractor was built from a modified tank chassis with the superstructure replaced with a compartment for the gun crew or ammunition. These machines allowed armies to supplement light-weight horse-drawn field guns with heavier weaponry. This slide is part of a collection of lantern slides depicting scenes of Australian YMCA war work during World War I.

Text and images are owned, held, or licensed by Springfield College and are available for personal, non-commercial, and educational use, provided that ownership is properly cited. A credit line is required and should read: Courtesy of Springfield College, Babson Library, Archives and Special Collections. Any commercial use without written permission from Springfield College is strictly prohibited. Other individuals or entities other than, and in addition to, Springfield College may also own copyrights and other propriety rights. The publishing, exhibiting, or broadcasting party assumes all responsibility for clearing reproduction rights and for any infringement of United States copyright law.